However, after a proposed AFL Grand Final Eve grand final failed to win enough support, GDFL club delegates voted unanimously at Wednesday night’s Annual General Meeting to play on Sunday, September 15.

“The delegates that were there were in agreeance (for a Sunday grand final),” president Neville Whitley said.

“The coaches may have different ideas, but we had to do something for the exposure of our league.”

AFL Barwon Commission chair Craig Keating was in attendance at the AGM, and Whitley took the opportunity to raise the prospect of the Bellarine playing on a Sunday when a clash next occurs.

“He said it would be in the interest of both leagues to work together on it without committing himself,” Whitley said.

“If it does happen next year (2020), it may be in the best interests to do it alternately.

“But, if it’s a success, we might continue it (on a Sunday).”

While not garnering enough support for 2019, Whitley says an AFL Grand Final Eve grand final isn’t off the agenda completely.

However, he says starting the season in late April to accommodate a late September finish does present some logistical issues.

“Starting the year later means our interleague program would have been affected – we would have only had a couple of games before interleague,” Whitley said.

“That was one of the reasons, and the other was that we would try the Sunday in preference to going out to the Friday.

“I think it was worth putting it out there for discussion. Who knows? We might look at it down the track.”

The GDFL season will start on April 6 alongside the BFL and GFL, with a break for Easter (April 20) and the AFL Victoria Community Championships (May 18).

However, unlike previous years, there will be no split round in July.

MEANWHILE, GDFL board members Alan Moore, Wayne Moore, Kevin Caine and Paul Welsh have been re-elected unopposed at the AGM.